The present invention generally concerns an interactive system for managing a customer utility load, and more particularly, concerns a web-based application utilized in conjunction with meter hardware and a communications network for monitoring information corresponding to a customer utility load. For selected utilities, the subject web-based application also provides a service for remotely altering the connection status of customer utility loads.
Several types of customer utilities are available at residential and commercial properties worldwide. Such properties and other locations may typically be supplied with selected utilities (i.e., products, or commodities) such as water, gas, electricity, cable service, telecommunications, and others. When a selected utility is provided to a customer load, there is typically some sort of metering hardware that is available for monitoring the amount of product that is provided to a specific customer load. Utility meters are typically characterized by some sort of metrology hardware that measures this consumption information and provides other information about the utility.
Many utility meters also include communications elements that provide a signal interface between the metrology hardware of a meter and other devices. Known communications components in utility meters include radio frequency (RF) communications devices that can transmit and receive signaled information between the meter and other locations. A meter with such wireless communications capabilities may provide an arrangement for remotely reading consumption data and other information from the meter without a utility serviceperson having to directly access the utility meter. A remote communications element within an appropriate range to the meter and corresponding RF component can request and receive desired information. This feature is known to be particularly useful for remotely gathering billing data corresponding to customer utility loads.
Despite advances in versatile communications and other features of utility meters, there are still many instances where a utility serviceperson may be required to directly access a utility meter in the field. Such instances may include, without limitation, a need to connect or disconnect service to a customer utility load, a need to fix broken or malfunctioning meter components, or a need to access other particular meter functions or information. Service personnel must monitor these needs and others, travel to particular customer utility locations, and often spend valuable time to service the meter. The need to perform such hands-on duties may thus often be characterized as a time-consuming and inefficient process.
There are many other factors that affect the ability of utility personnel to access a meter in the field and to efficiently service the device. Utility meters may be located in high crime areas or other areas that may not be readily accessible, making even simple meter servicing an inconvenience or even a danger. Certain customers may be prone to delinquency, thus increasing the frequency of service visits to a utility load for connecting, disconnecting, or reconnecting the service. Numerous service visits may also be required at locations with high occupancy turnover, such as apartment complexes or short-term housing locations. Meter tampering, malfunctioning of meter components, and changes in utility billing status are among many other reasons that utility service personnel may be required to spend valuable field time servicing a meter.
It is thus desired to provide features and methods that would reduce and optimize the amount of time meter service personnel spend in the field. While various systems and arrangements have been developed to advance and simplify selected aspects in the field of utility meters, no one design has emerged that generally encompasses all of the desired characteristics as hereafter presented in accordance with the subject technology.